3 goalies for 1 team in 1 game

On December 5th 1991 played Pittsburgh Penguins a game vs San Jose Sharks. Mario and company won 8:0, but one think is amazing. In the net of Sharks were 3 goalies -
Brian Hayward 3 GA
Jeff Hackett 1 GA
Arturs Irbe 4 GA

How could it be? Because there is only one backup goalie on the bench.
Can you give others examples of this?

- First goalie knew he had to leave early for personal reasons. After 1 period he was replaced.
- Second goalie was injured with 5 minutes left, still carrying the shutout. This technically left the team with no official goaltenders.
- Knowing in advance that they'd need an emergency backup in case of this situation, the team carried an 18-year-old skater with the brilliant name of Sam Gospel, who changed into goalie gear and was ready to play the final 5 minutes.

Pretty sure that 3 goalies sharing a shutout is unique in pro hockey history.

Nice find. I was almost sure sure I had seen an occurrence of just this kind, and this must have been it. BTW, that was actually vs. Pens, who ate him alive in '95... and again in '96 playoffs, until he was basically pulled from the series.

Nice find. I was almost sure sure I had seen an occurrence of just this kind, and this must have been it. BTW, that was actually vs. Pens, who ate him alive in '95... and again in '96 playoffs, until he was basically pulled from the series.

On May 16, 1995, the Washington Capitals had a chance to close out their conference quarterfinal series against Pittsburgh, but starter Jim Carey had trouble with the Penguin offense. Olaf Kolzig replaced him, but was forced from the nets due to torn cartilage in his right knee.

Carey returned, and in the meantime Byron Dafoe began to dress in the Capital dressing room. At some point during the second intermission, Carey was himself "injured" and Dafoe played the final period. For all of these machinations, Washington still lost the game by a 7-1 margin, and would fall to the Penguins in seven games.

On April 2, 1966, the Toronto Maple Leafs used three goaltenders in a 3-3 tie against the visiting New York Rangers. Each of Johnny Bower, Terry Sawchuk and Bruce Gamble played one period and allowed one goal (there was no regular season overtime in 1965-66).

well. according to the video you can have a 3rd goalie, just not dressed. If you lost that 3rd person, then you can play either no goalie or dress someone else.

But my question is this: doesn't the roster have to be submitted before the game starts (when the first officials horn blows before the 1st period starts and the officials first come on the ice)? Doesn't it have to be given to the statistician?

well. according to the video you can have a 3rd goalie, just not dressed. If you lost that 3rd person, then you can play either no goalie or dress someone else.

But my question is this: doesn't the roster have to be submitted before the game starts (when the first officials horn blows before the 1st period starts and the officials first come on the ice)? Doesn't it have to be given to the statistician?

There is a rule allowing for emergency goaltender substitutions; if the team's dressed goaltenders become incapacitated, the team may use any readily available goaltender, be it a minor leaguer, third roster goalie, etc. In the past this has even resulted in junior/college players getting single-game tryout contracts if they happened to be at the game.

He's a pro. The British League is a low league, but full of NHL draft picks. The Hurricanes' Anthony Stewart is on the same team right now and not putting up incredible numbers. The goalie in question is Craig Kowalski, an 8th rounder from the 2000 draft. He has about half a season's worth of AHL games under his belt, and several seasons in the ECHL.

It wasn't specified in the linked article, but other articles indicated he had to be with his wife later that night. I assume there was a planned medical situation of some sort.

There is a rule allowing for emergency goaltender substitutions; if the team's dressed goaltenders become incapacitated, the team may use any readily available goaltender, be it a minor leaguer, third roster goalie, etc. In the past this has even resulted in junior/college players getting single-game tryout contracts if they happened to be at the game.

I seem to remember Mike Greenlay getting a call at an Oilers game on HNIC. If I remember right Ranford went down with an injury and so they put in the backup Grant Fuhr maybe and went without a backup goalie. Fuhr went down and if I remember right they actually held up the game for Mike Greenlay to get dressed. If I remember right, after the delay and all, Grant Fuhr decided he was ok to keep going and Greenlay stood in the entrance way at Northlands the rest of the game. It was actually a little amusing since back then, both teams didn't come through the benches, so he stood off on his own for the game.

Actually, Edmonton seems to have an issue with that for the visitors a lot. One of the Kings goalies went off with an equipment issue at a game I was at at Rexall and since the visitors don't exit through the bench area, he had to sit in the corner of the rink on a folding chair waiting for a stoppage in play to swap back with the goalie on ice.

I remember reading that in the pre-WWII era, most teams didn't dress backup goalies and didn't take a spare on the road. More than once a goalie was plucked out of the crowd when a goalie went down with an injury. I don't remember the names, but I believe the Habs were playing the Hawks in Chicago one night and the Habs goalie went down with an injury and the only other goalie in the rink that night was property of the Rangers. So hastily, the Habs had to contact the Rangers to get permission to "borrow" the goalie for the night. I might have the Rangers and Hawks wrong but it was definitely a Habs road game (my Dad is a big Habs fan and I read it in one of his Habs books). If I remember the story right, after this incident the NHL made it a rule that borrowing players like this was illegal and the Habs would have been forced to find a goalie who wasn't property of another team or dress one of their skaters in net.

What I am curious about is when the last time a team had to put a skater into net because of injury? I know at one time, goalies served their own penalties and this was common place. So I am curious after goalies no longer served their own penalties, when the last time a skater was forced into duty?

I remember reading that in the pre-WWII era, most teams didn't dress backup goalies and didn't take a spare on the road. More than once a goalie was plucked out of the crowd when a goalie went down with an injury. I don't remember the names, but I believe the Habs were playing the Hawks in Chicago one night and the Habs goalie went down with an injury and the only other goalie in the rink that night was property of the Rangers. So hastily, the Habs had to contact the Rangers to get permission to "borrow" the goalie for the night. I might have the Rangers and Hawks wrong but it was definitely a Habs road game (my Dad is a big Habs fan and I read it in one of his Habs books). If I remember the story right, after this incident the NHL made it a rule that borrowing players like this was illegal and the Habs would have been forced to find a goalie who wasn't property of another team or dress one of their skaters in net.

This is similar to how Harry Lumley got his start. Lumley was the backup for the Red Wings when the Rangers lost the only goalie they had brought with them, and the Wings agreed to let him be the replacement against his own team.

In that game, I think the deal was, the Leafs were so impressed with Gamble, 10 GP,5-2-2, 4 SO (!) that they thought they should keep an eye on him for the playoffs and future, so Bower went down after 1 with an alleged sickness, allowing for an extra goalie to then dress as the game was on!

What I am curious about is when the last time a team had to put a skater into net because of injury? I know at one time, goalies served their own penalties and this was common place. So I am curious after goalies no longer served their own penalties, when the last time a skater was forced into duty?